Third Time Lucky?
by ValaMagic
Summary: This is a LL one-shot. Can Luke and Lorelai sort things out after the series or is it too late? picks up after season 7


AN: This is a post season 7 fic, picks up a few hours after the series left off... Lorelai and Luke. Yay! It all worked out in the end.

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**Third Time... Lucky?**

"So, Rory's gone?" he questioned as Lorelai plonked down on a stool. She nodded in reply gulping down the coffee that had already been placed in front of her, trying to ignore the strange feeling in her stomach, that was a mix of loss, sadness and happiness. Her only daughter was grown up, and travelling around America on a bus. She'd known Rory would be gone eventually, she hadn't really been living at home for four years, but somehow now it seemed even closer to the time she'd move out for good.

Luke pressed his hand over hers, thumb rubbing lightly and she was reminded that Rory might be just the first, there was still time for her, maybe her nest wouldn't be empty for another twenty two years. She smiled shyly, glad that Luke couldn't read her mind at that moment, they needed to sort themselves out first.

"She'll be fine" he muttered, refilling her almost empty mug. She nodded, still looking worried. "So will we" he whispered leaning closer brushing a stray hair from her face.

"I suppose you want food too?" he asked pulling away a little, disgusted but no longer surprised by her eating habits.

"Trying to distract me from my misery with food?" she quipped.

"Is it working?"

"Yep"

"Burger and fries coming up" he told her throwing a real smile at her, which she returned promptly.

"Missed you" she told him as he headed toward the kitchen, Luke nodded accepting the unspoken apology for her behaviour of the past year.

She wasn't surprised when he reappeared with her food to see extra chilli fries on her plate, nor was she surprised when Luke refused to let her pay for her meal, or when he told her he'd pick her up at seven. Later it occurred to her that she didn't particularly want to go out, they needed to talk first, so she called him back and he agreed. She didn't bother renting a movie but ended up ringing Rory for fashion advice, who admonished her for the long distance call but instructed her towards a pale blue summer dress she'd bought two weeks earlier while shopping for a graduation outfit.

Luke knew her well enough to be late and knocked promptly at 7:18pm, surprised when Lorelai pounced on the door, as if she'd been pacing behind it for hours, which she actually had.

"I brought food" he told her juggling several bags in his arms.

"You're a God" she told him seriously wondering whether it would be inappropriate to kiss him. Eventually she decided she didn't care and planted a soft kiss on his lips, smiling at how right it felt.

The conversation lapsed as they ate their way through some of Luke's finest burgers, chips and in Luke's case salad.

"You remembered the pie" Lorelai exclaimed excitedly as Luke pulled half a pie from one of the bags when Lorelai had eaten her way through two and a half burgers and a bucket load of fries. If he didn't know her better he'd have been surprised by how much she ate.

Finally she put down her fork and turned towards him. He knew he would soon have to say all the things that had been running through his head for the past months and it could mean the difference between dying alone or with someone by his side.

"First off. Ground rules" Lorelai told him sternly "No yelling. No interruptions. No blame" he nodded, confused when she held a closed fist out to him.

"Rock, paper, scissors... to see who goes first" he smiled, she could be so childish. He chose paper to her scissors, so he sat back waiting for her to begin.

"I'm... sorry" she began, unsure where to head after that. There were too many things she was sorry for, too many mistakes "I pushed you, you were so patient with me when I wanted to wait for Rory to come home and I couldn't even wait for you to digest the fact that you had a daughter."

"Lor ..." Luke interrupted.

"Shh. Not finished. It's just Rory was so happy with Logan and I saw Sookie and Jackson with Davey and Martha and I wanted so badly to have that but it just wasn't happening. Then Lane and Zach with the wedding and my drunken ramblings, you on April's school trip. I just missed you so much. I missed the way things were when we were first together, I wanted it back. I wanted to know you loved me because I didn't. I didn't feel like you did anymore. God Luke, I'm so sorry" she whispered the last part, not even bothering to brush away the tears forming in her eyes.

Luke reached his hand to her knee, but didn't dare to pull her close. She smiled her thanks but remained silent. Luke was surprised when he opened his mouth to speak to find himself choked up and tears running down his own face.

"Lorelai, I love you" his words were quiet, reverent and as she looked into his reddened eyes, she knew he spoke the truth.

"You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I thought I'd screwed it up. You made me so happy and I hurt you. You didn't deserve that. You've already been through so much" For once Lorelai ignored the urge to pull Luke to her and kiss him passionately.

"You didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated you either" Lorelai told him "I shouldn't have gone to Chris" she admitted.

"Could we not talk about him" Luke asked, a hint of jealousy in his voice. Lorelai nodded and pressed her body against his, her face snuggling into his shoulder.

"Wow, you smell even better than I remember" she mumbled into his shirt. He smiled and they settled into a comfortable silence.

"Lorelai?" Luke asked breaking the silence "I know it seems a little early to be asking this, but will you marry me?"

It wasn't a candlelit dinner, or a grand gesture at a football game, there was no ring hidden within her pie, no champagne, but Lorelai smiled.

"Yes" she whispered and planted a soft kiss upon his lips, slipping comfortably into his embrace.

"We're actually going to do this?" she asked a few minutes later.

"Third time lucky" he replied dryly.

"I hope so" she said, not quite believing it.

"I promise. When's Rory coming home next?"

"Thanksgiving"

"That's when we're getting married" Lorelai smiled and pressed her lips to his passionately. Luke was right, third time lucky.

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AN: Please review, this is the first LL fic i've written in years so feedback is good


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